Canadian Union of Fascists

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The Canadian Fascist Party was a fascist political party based in the Canadian city of Winnipeg. The formative core of the party was a splinter group from the Canadian Nationalist Party that found the principles of corporativism to be more important than the largely racial motivations of the Nationalist Party. This disposition is highlighted in one official statement that "anti-semitism was a symptom of Germany not of Fascism".^[1] The party was founded as the British Empire Union of Fascists and was affiliated with the British Union of Fascists. It later became known as the Canadian Union of Fascists and Canadian Union for short. It published its own newspaper called "The Thunderbolt".

The party was led by "Chuck" Crate, who became leader at the age of 17. He had contacted the British Union of Fascists, who put him in touch with the party.

The party had a hard time attracting supporters while in operation. This primarily stemmed from the fact that most Canadians who supported fascism leaned towards the racist brand espoused by Adrien Arcand and others. At the party's first meeting, there was an attendance of roughly 200 people.^[1]

This disparity between the party and Arcand's would continue throughout its existence. Before the government took action against Canadian fascist parties, both the Canadian Union of Fascists and Arcand's group held simultaneous fascist congresses in Toronto. While Arcand's group, dubbed the "National Union" drew a crowd of around 4,000, the Canadian Union only managed to draw some 30 local residents to its cause.^[1]

The party was dissolved when the Second World War began. The party asked its members to obey the law, but to work for a negotiated peace. Crate escaped a treason charge, and ended up in the Royal Canadian Navy.

The party, though not officially racist or anti-semitic, had strong connections to Adrien Arcand's National Unity Party, which was openly both racist and anti-semitic.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c Betcherman, LITA-ROSE. « The Swastika and the Maple Leaf: Fascist Movements In Canada In the Thirties. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1975. 77.»